Fortnite

Who is Fortnite produced by?

Epic Games

What type of games are the Fornite franchise?

The Fortnite franchise is a series of multiplayer free-to-play battleground games available on several platforms and devices

When was Fortnite launched?

July 2017

What does the "Fortnite" franchise include?

-"Fortnite: Battle Royale"

-"Fortnite: Save the World

-"Fortnite: Creative"

How successful is Fortnite?

"Fortnite: Battle Royale is the most successful free-to-play videogame ever, making $1.2 billion in the first 10 months of release

Is "Fortnite" free?

-initially, players had to buy "battle passes" to play

-but in September 2018, the "Battle Royale" version was offered free

What was the revenue of the Fortnite franchise in 2018?

$2.4 billion

How has fortnite transformed "Epic Games"?

-the franchise has helped make Epic Games a hugely successful company

-in 2012, they were worth $825 million, in $2018, they were worth $5.8 billion

What awards has fortnite won?

"Fortnite: Battle Royale" won "Best Ongoing Game" in the PC Gamer and IGN awards in 2018

What happens in the game?

-players, in groups of 100, are dropped via a flying bus onto a deserted island that is about to be hit by a natural disaster

-players seek out weapons and other materials but can also demolish structures and rebuild them into forts, towers, etc.

-as the game continues, the storm starts to encroach, driving the players into smaller and smaller areas, forcing conflict

What is the aim of the game?

to fight to the death, with the last player standing as the winner

What genre is Fortnite

-Fortnite could be considered a fusion of battle games (like "Battlegrounds") and construction games (like "Minecraft")

How has the videogame industry been doing?

-the global videogame industry has been growing since the early days of Arari home entertainment of the 1980s

-In recent years, the diversity of game genres and platforms on which they can be played has meant an explosion in the gaming industry

What are the statistics behing videogame popularity?

-based on a 2015 economic forecast, videogame sales were expected to read $90 billion by 2020

-In 2014, it was calculated there were 1.8 billion gamers in the world (25% of global population)

What is the general demographic for gamers?

-In 2018 in the USA, 28% of gamers were under 18, but 23% were over 50 years old

-there was a 66/44% male/female gender split

Why has gaming become increasingly popular?

-the range of genres (from first-person shooters to puzzles and learning tools) has varied the demographics for gamers

-the variety of platforms (not just home consoles, but tablets and smartphones) that high quality, complex and engaging games can be accessed has also led to the growth of the industry

How has gaming increasingly became a social activity?

-In 1997, Ultima Online became the first online multiplayer game, and since then socialising in the game world has become an everyday activity for millions of people (usually geographically far apart)

What are "eSports"?

-live competitive gaming events between celebrity players

-has become very popular, attracting millions of viewers

-done through sites like Twitch

How does Fortnite use technological convergence?

-there is ability to access the game from consoles, PCs, laptops and tablets

-you can also download it for a range of operating systems

-you can also move, mid-game, between devices without interrupting gameplay

What operating system does Epic Games use to develop Fortnite?

-Unreal Engine

-they have made this available on their website, and encourage their audience to use it to develop their own games

What has "Unreal Engine" been used for?

-has also been used by professional game developers

-"Batman: Arkahm City"

-"Infinity Blade"

What is cross-media convergence?

-where more than one media brand or form joins to promote eachother

-e.g. Fortnite has used streaming platforms like Twitch to broadcast live

How is Fortnite viewed?

-Fortnite is the most viewed game on YouTube, and also has used streaming platforms like Twitch (owned by Amazon) to broadcast live competitions

Which other media brands/franchises has Fortnite collaborated with?

-Marvel Studios

-there was a special "Avengers: Infinity War" segment

-recently a tie-in with "Godzilla"

What does the format used enable Fortnite to do?

means any kind of costumes, weapons and games can be introduced to keep the game fresh

What keeps Fortnite in the news/social media?

-films/tv/sports can promote their brands to over 20 million players

-famous collaborations keep Fortnite in the news/social media

Which non-gaming celebrities does Epic Games have a good relationship with?

-Drake

-basketball star Ben Simmons

-this helps to promote the game beyond the traditional gaming market

Who was Epic Games started by and when?

-Tim Sweeney

-in 1991

Where did Epic Games first start up?

-was originally run from Sweeney's parent's house

-these humble beginnings may explain Epic's decision to make Unreal Engine available to amateur game designers

What awards has Unreal Engine won?

the Guiness Book of Records named Unreal Engine as the "most successful videogame engine"

What does Epic Games own?

-Chair Entertainment (video game developer)

-Cloudgine (cloud-based software developer)

-has sub-studios in the UK, Japan and Germany

Who invested in Epic Games?

-Tecent (a Chinese investment company focused on internet and AI development)

-they bough a 42% stake in Epic in 2012

What is a GaaS?

-Games as a Service

-where there is a constant revenue stream from "in game purchases" after the initial purchase (or providing the game for free)

-e.g. Fortnite

What are microtransactions?

-where players pay for weapon, costume and game upgrades rather than "grinding through" the gameplay to score them

-bought with V-bucks

-can be used in GaaS titles

What are V-bucks?

-currency in Fortnite

-can be earned in the game or bough using "real world" money

-another game that does this is Candy Crush

What are some of the upgrades like in Fortnite?

-unusually, in Fornite, the upgrades are purely cosmetic

-they consist of new "skins" (to alter your character's appearance) and "emotes" (victory dance moves after a kill)

-these are only available for a short period of time, increasing their value and encouraging players to pay rather than "grind" for them

What are the different revenue streams for GaaS titles?

-microtransactions

-V-bucks

-season passes

What are season passes?

-a subscription that allows you to access new content throughout a period of gameplay (the "season") that play-for-free users can't access

What are "Battle Passes"?

-Fortnite offers players "battle passes" and then drip-feeds limited edition and exclusive content to these players throughout the season

What are age ratings?

-age ratings are systems used to ensure that entertainment content is clearly labelled by age according to the content they contain

-age ratings guide consumers (particularly parents) to help them decide whether or not to buy a particular product)

-the rating on a game confirms it is suitable for players over a certain age

What is the historical context on the PEGI system?

-In 2012, the PEGI system was incorporated into UK law

-and The Video Standards Council was appointed as the statutory body responsible for the age rating of video games in the UK (using the PEGI system)

What is Fortnite's PEGI rating and why?

-Fortnite has a PEGI rating of 12

-for "frequent scenes of mild violence"

-though it seems parents are more concerned with issues surrounding addiction than levels of violence

What has the relationship between videogames and audiences been like?

-a controversial area

-with many moral panics

What are fears that surround the relationship between videogames and audiences?

-that violent games encourage copycat behavior

-worries about addiction and the amount of "screen time" that is healthy

What is the violence of Fortnite like?

-Fortnite, when compared to other successful titles like "Grand Theft Auto" or "Call of Duty" contains very little explicit/realistic violence

-the cartoon-like graphics also make the game suitable for younger players

What is racism/misogyny like in Fortnite?

-In addition, there seems to be little racism or misogyny expressed by the players compared to other videogames

-possibly because free players are randomly assigned race and gender "skins" at the start of each round

What have critics praised about Fortnite (in relation to attitudes toward audience)?

-Critics have also praised the collaborative nature of the gameplay that encourages players to work together and protect each other (until the finale)

What are the main concerns with audience consumption of Fortnite?

-the main concern seems to be about addiction, with reports from teachers and parents that children are distracted from schoolwork due to their engagement

-one psychologist even compared it to heroin

How does Fortnite achieve it's diverse and varied audience?

-Fortnite has used a combination of addictive gameplay, media/technological convergence and marketing to target a diverse and varied audience.

What type of people play Fortnite (stats)?

-78% male

-22% female

-53% 10-25

-42% are in full time employment

What makes Fortnite appeal to younger audiences?

-the unrealistic violence and cartoon-style graphics, along with the emphasis on construction as much as killing, make it appealing to a younger audience

How has Fortnite "made" celebrities?

-the rise of "eSports" starts, mainly consumed via streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch (where Fortnite is the most watched game) has led to players becoming major celebrities

Who is Ninja?

-Ninja, the most famous Fortnite player has over 10 million subscribers and earns over half a million dollars a month

-Ninja ranks highest in the world for social media interactions (i.e. people posting or sharing using their name)

What makes Fortnite appeal to women?

-the popularity of "Twitch Girls" (female streamers, like KatyPlaysGames) has also appealed to women

How does Fortnite's use of "seasons" keep it relevant?

-Fortnite's use of "seasons"- with rumours and gossip about future seasons- follows the cable TV/ on-line subscription style of long-form TV drama

What are the positive aspects of Fortnite gameplay?

-the basic gameplay of Fortnite: Battle Royale is interactive and collaborative, encouraging players to work together

-by being able to deconstruct and rebuild the game environment, players are encouraged to be creative

-Fortnite: Creative is a different format that allows even more creativity in designing "skins", "emotes" and landscapes

How does Epic Games encourage game developers?

-In addition, Epic Games have made their operating system Unreal Engine available (at a price) to encourage the next generation of games developers

What are "Uses and Gratifications" examples in Fortnite?

-Fortnite- along with many videogames- could relate to the "escapism" and "catharses"

-however, the collaborative nature of the gameplay could also provide social interaction

-personal identity

How is personal identity (Blumer & Katz' theory) seen in Fortnite?

-the use of gamer and non-gamer celebrities could relate to the search for role models (especially at a young age) that contribute to personal identity ("star Theory")